SpaceX, Elon Musk's company, has ambitious plans to introduce data centers into space using a fleet of satellites. The company aims to launch its first AI-focused satellites, equipped with Nvidia chips, as early as the fourth quarter of 2027.
The company expects to achieve 'significant scale' in the following year, transferring part of the AI processing to orbit. According to Bloomberg, this project envisions satellite-format data centers that will be smaller and lighter compared to conventional racks.
Furthermore, SpaceX has requested permission for a network that could encompass up to one million satellites, intended to perform complex artificial intelligence operations. Musk updated the timeline in a post on the X platform, detailing that the space data center will be 'significantly simpler, cheaper, more compact, and lighter than a traditional rack.'
The central premise is to position processing capacity directly in orbit, which, according to SpaceX, can serve as a more economical and environmentally responsible alternative to terrestrial data centers.
This concept was already present in the plans presented by the company during its initial public offering process, where space data centers were highlighted as an important strategic front for the company. The decision to use exclusively Nvidia technology in the space AI infrastructure was made after Musk analyzed various projects based on different types of chips, concluding that Nvidia's systems were the most suitable.
The partnership also includes the Vera CPU, which will be used to accelerate processing related to Grok and the next generation of artificial intelligence agents.
The key milestones announced indicate an acceleration compared to initial estimates. Initially, during preparations for SpaceX's IPO, the company had indicated that the first launches would only occur in 2028. Subsequently, in the first post-IPO financial report, Musk mentioned it would happen 'next year.' Currently, the projection is more defined: the first set of satellites is expected to be launched in the last quarter of 2027.
To realize this constellation, SpaceX has filed an authorization request with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This request covers the possibility of operating with up to one million satellites capable of executing complex AI tasks. Thus, the company aims to convert orbit into an extension of its computing infrastructure, with commencement expected at the end of 2027 and reaching a considerable scale in 2028.